Progeny
By: Delilah deSora

Chapter 4

Shido woke suddenly, curling in on himself slightly as a sharp pain in his stomach made him wince. At his back Cain slept peacefully and he grit his teeth against the pain. Finally the pain began to subside and he relaxed, staring at the dark wall. Stretching experimentally he was glad to find no more pain.

Still sleep eluded him and he rose, dressing quietly lest it wake his mate. Cain slept on, however, and Shido amused himself by prowling the house.

His hand lingered on his stomach as he studied the brilliantly colored sky, watching the twilight slowly sink into darkness. He wondered if he should bring his suspicions to Cain’s attention then pushed such thoughts away. They were ridiculous, he knew. Both Adrian and Este had both told him of the difficulties their kind had getting pregnant.

To suggest to anyone he could be pregnant again so soon after bearing Cayle would only make him look the fool.

Letting his hand fall away he returned to the rooms he and Cain shared, reading until a soft knock signaled the return of his son.

In the end what was supposed to have been a small family trip turned into an extended family trip as Dorian caught wind of the expedition and demanded to go, urging his father to accompany him so that he could show off the things he’d learned while in his sire’s care. They were also joined by Renzo who was practically shoved out of the house with a list of demands from his mate. Alexandru stayed behind with Este for though he accompanied the children on their hunting lessons he no longer felt comfortable among the press of humans.

As they walked the streets of the sea-side city Shido found himself awash in a strange sensation he had not felt in a long time. He had walked these streets once before when it had been little more than a collection of run down homes and muddy roads. To see it now as a bustling hub of civilization, a collection of tourists visiting for the weekend and businessmen staring at small hand held computers, made him long uselessly for the simplicity of the past.

At his side Cayle laughed and swung between them, each hand clasped firmly in his parent’s as he delighted in the change of scene. Beyond Cain Dorian walked more sedately, though a rare smile lingered on his face as he kept close to his father’s side. Behind them all Renzo followed, his eyes narrowed as he struggled to decipher his mate’s demands, the occasional mumble as to what they needed this or that for escaping him.

They wandered the streets for an hour, Cayle striking up conversations with smiling people as they waited for lights to change and discarding his newfound companions with ease when it was time to move on. In between those ephemeral friendships Cayle kept up a running monologue on his journeys with his father and Shido forced the interested smile to remain upon his face, even when his son spoke freely of the humans he’d lured to the kill. More than once Cain had to snatch the jabbering child back from the street as he wandered on, oblivious to the red lights as they waited to cross.

Dorian managed to impose a few words here and there but for the most part spoke quietly with his father or else was silent, his pale blue eyes taking in the surroundings around them.

They came across what Shido had once been taught to call a market district and Cayle begged as though his life depended upon it to be allowed into a toy store. Cain, in a show of suffering savior, allowed it and they watched as the children ran through the closing store. A knowing smile and lingering gaze from Adrian was enough to send the owner off to stare aimlessly at the wall as the children poured over toys, finally settling upon their decisions.

Renzo had disappeared as soon as they’d reached the block of brightly lit stores and so the five of them strolled down the slowly emptying streets, Cayle and Dorian clutching their prizes in small hands. Cain led them to a park and they found themselves keepers of the toys as the children coaxed Adrian into pushing them higher on the swings.

Cool breath upon his neck drew Shido away from his study of the laughing trio and he flushed, leaning away from his mate’s nuzzling. “They will see.” He protested.

A hand came to rest upon his knee, sliding up into dangerous territory as Cain leaned farther into him. “Let them.” Came the answer.

A pair of laughing humans approached and Cain’s head lifted, his golden eyes turned predatory and, for a horrible moment, Shido thought he might call out to them, luring them to their deaths. But as they came close enough to notice them Cain only smiled and acknowledge their nod. One of the women raised her hand in a small wave, the large bag hanging from her wrist swinging with the gesture.

From out of nowhere Cayle appeared, running up to them.

“Hello.” He called cheerfully.

The two women smiled brightly at him. “Hello.” The blonde responded kneeling to Cayle’s level as Shido moved to retrieve his son.

Cayle pointed at the bag in her hands. “What’s that?”

She knelt and pulled out a package, showing it to him. “It’s my costume for Halloween. I’m going to be a vampire.”

Shido sped up but could not reach his son before Cayle frowned and spoke. “Why would you be something for Halloween?”

The two women hesitated, sharing a confused glance with one another just as he managed to reach the trio. He laughed and snatched Cayle back, the child squirming in his hands. “Please, excuse him.”

The woman stood, her smile returning as she put the costume back in the bag. “It’s all right. He’s cute.”

Shido caught Cayle’s scowl at being called cute and laughed as he herded the boy back to the playground. “He’s a troublemaker. Sorry for the disturbance.”

The women waved and Cayle waved jauntily even as Shido practically shoved his son back to the waiting velassi. As soon as they were out of site Cayle’s face fell into a rare mask of seriousness, his green eyes dark with thought.

“How is she going to be a vampire for Halloween?” He asked.

Cain lifted his son up onto his lap. “She isn’t going to be a vampire. She’s going to dress up like one. It’s a silly human custom.”

Shido gave his mate a pointed glare. “It is not silly. They do it to have fun and pretend they are something they are not for the night. It’s like how you and Dorian pretend you’re characters from the books you’ve been read.”

Cayle shrugged. “But those people aren’t real. Why would they dress up as something that’s real? If they want to be a vampire why not go find one?”

“Because,” Cain pointed out, “they do not  know that vampires are real. Remember?”

“Oh.” Was all the reply they got. Cayle scrambled down to go join Dorian in attempting to dig to the other side of the world and for a long while they sat in silence.

Adrian came to join them after a fruitless attempt to discourage the children in their chosen task, brushing sand from his clothes.

“I had not realized All Souls Night would be so soon.” Cain mused, his golden eyes thoughtful.

At his side Adrian laughed. “Aye it does sneak up on you doesn’t it?”

Shido shifted, feeling a bit guilty. All Souls Night did not drive him as it used to, would not in fact for another fifty years or so. Cain, however, did not share his strange immunity to it and was left to fend for himself while Shido watched the children. Adrian was not as affected as it by his mate but, because of Alexandru’s condition, they feared leaving him alone on that night. Thus it had become his job to watch both Dorian and Cayle during the troublesome hours as the rest of the household descended into madness.

With a sigh Cain shifted and stood, calling their son to him. Reluctantly Cayle abandoned his chosen task, Dorian following him as they returned. Cain lifted his soon up, fangs nipping teasingly at the child and making him laugh in delight.

“Shall we go find some dinner?” He asked, earning a frantic nod of agreement.

Shido felt his stomach clench as Cayle reached out for him but his own mate who turned, blocking him from their son’s view, saved him from making the decision. “Let your father to go find his own dinner. This will be just a sire – son outing.”

It was evident from the small scowl that crossed Cayle’s face that he didn’t approve of the idea but Cain didn’t give him a chance to argue, simply turning back to the small gathering. “We’ll meet back here in an hour.” He said, strolling away.

“Come, little love,” Adrian coaxed, taking his son’s hand in his, “Show me what you’ve learned.”

Dorian smiled brightly, his hand clasped firmly in his father’s as they disappeared into the darkness of the park.

Shido sat silently for a time, waiting until he sensed another predator out looking for a single person to attack. His mind brushed against the man’s and he stood, following the garbled thoughts to a street corner when the man lured him into a dark doorway. Shido caught the gun easily, tearing it from the man’s grasp even as he embraced him like a lover.

It had been a few weeks since he’d fed from a living person rather than off the stored blood Este kept to feed the island’s inhabitants and he drank deeply, stealing the man’s life as the man had stolen so many others. Murders were not as common to come by as current popular vampire lore would have its audience believe and Shido indulged in the kill that gave him no lingering bit of guilt, knowing it would probably be a long time before he came across another.

Letting the body fall to the ground Shido used the man’s weapon to hide the signs of his feeding. The authorities would chalk his death up to poetic justice, a murdered killed by the very weapon that had taken other lives. Even if they wondered at the lack of blood no one would find any evidence of supernatural causes, only a bullet lodged in the man’s throat.

Throwing the contraption away Shido thrust his hands in his pockets and made his way back to the park.

Dorian sat on the cold bench, his legs swinging over the edge as he contemplated the carefully cultivated trees about him. He could still hear and smell the city beyond but he knew if he tried hard enough he could pretend he was back in the wilderness of the island. Next to him his father examined the plastic toy, trying to figure out how to solve the puzzle of the colored blocks.

“Father,” Dorian spoke, drawing his father’s attention away from the toy and onto him.

“Yes, little love?” His father asked, a gentle arm coming to rest upon his shoulders.

“Why does Shido never hunt with Cayle? Cayle thinks it’s because he doesn’t hunt right but we both hunt the same and you don’t say I do anything wrong.  He’s heard his sire and father argue over it and it always makes his father angry when his sire insists he comes. Is Shido embarrassed to watch Cayle hunt?”

Next to him his father sighed. “It isn’t that Cayle is hunting wrong or that Shido’s embarrassed by him. Shido . . . Shido is different from us. He spent a long time living like a human and he doesn’t like death. To see his own son take a life would hurt him.”

“Is it wrong to kill humans?” Dorian asked, his pale face full of worry.

Adrian smiled and stroked his son’s dark hair. “That is something you must decide for yourself. If you chose not to kill you must be very careful to remove all memory of the attack and to keep the bit small. It is easier to kill and hide the body but . . . some of our kind chose to be merciful.”

Dorian nodded slightly, turning his attention back to his shoes.

It wasn’t long until Shido returned, silence hanging about him like a melancholic blanket. They sat together waiting for the last of their group to return. They heard them before they saw them, Cayle’s shrieking laughter shattering the night’s silence and echoed by his sire’s deeper chuckle.

Cayle climbed up beside him, forcing Dorian up against his father’s side as Cain tried to coax his mate into an impromptu dance. Shido balked at this and with a pained sigh Cain gave up, regulated to getting what pleasure he could from draping an arm about the violet haired velassi’s waist.

“Well, shall we go find Renzo?” Cain asked.

Adrian nodded and stood, herding the children before him.

It was a barely perceptible sound over the noise of Cayle’s protests to the end of the evening but Adrian heard it. Whirling he snatched the two children, startling a cry out of his son as the creature came down atop them, its twitching wings the only thing that had given away its attack. Cain and Shido both went down underneath its bulk but they recovered from the shock quickly, sharp fangs and claws making the breed cry out and rear back.

Though Adrian longed to help his child and his mate he knew where his duty lie. Snatching both of the young velassi he fled, ignoring Cayle’s protests as he was dragged away from his parents and into the safety of the woods. The moment Adrian set him on the ground he tried to run back but the older velassi had expected the action and caught him about the waist.

“No!” He snapped, giving the struggling child a sharp shake. “You cannot go back.”

Cayle gave him a betrayed glare, small fangs bared threateningly. Dorian stood at his side, hands fisted in his clothes as though afraid to let go. Satisfied that his son wasn’t about to run into danger alone Adrian focused his attention on his grandchild.

“Listen to me!” He demanded, “They will be fine. But they won’t be able to fight if they have to worry about you being underfoot.”

Cayle paused, though his green eyes still shone with anger.

“They’ll be fine. I promise.” Adrian coaxed, silently praying that fate would not turn him into a liar.

Shido struggled out from under the breed, rolling away to safety. Rising to his feet he saw the creature rear back, its sharp pointed legs stabbing down at the furious velassi beneath it. Cain dodged the blows, raking at the breed’s soft underbelly and making it ooze green blood.

Biting his finger Shido made a sharp downward motion, his hand closing about the hilt of his blood-sword. Raising the weapon over his head he lunged forward, just as something struck him from behind. Bright hot pain blossomed against his back as a heavy weight drove him to the ground. Rolling he stared up at the second breed, only barely managing to dodge the heavily spiked tentacle as it came crashing down at him.

He bit into his left hand and threw the blood at his attacker, forming the droplets into little spears that thudded into the meaty body and sent the breed stumbling back, its tentacles wavering wildly. Behind him he head Cain’s laughter and the crack of a whip striking something hard.

Satisfied that he not longer needed to worry about his mate Shido’s thoughts turned towards his son. A flash of rage settled over him, stealing rational thought from his mind and he launched himself at the creature. His fangs sank into its tough skin and he shook his head like a dog, tearing the flesh from the creature and making it bleed. Pulling back he leapt to dodge the flailing tentacles and slashed down with the sword, cutting the breed deeply.

The creature thrashed wildly and he was struck from his perch, hitting the ground hard enough to daze him for a moment. The breed turned on him but before it could strike an axe took it in the side, severing a few limbs and sending it crashing to the ground. As Shido struggled to his feet Renzo leapt upon the monster, his blood-axe making short work of the creature.

Shido turned to check on his mate sighing in relief as Cain beat the breed down for the final time, its twitching wings stilling as its black eyes turned glassy in death.

Dissolving his sword Shido ran towards the thick grove where he’d seen Adrian drag his son.

Dorian clung to his father’s side, fear making him mute as he met the man’s stare. His father was distracted by Cayle who was still trying to escape his grasp and go to his parents and Dorian could not get over his fear to draw his father’s attention to the pale haired man who watched them. The man’s eyes were like blue ice, the same shade as his own and they held him immobile, making his tongue thick and unresponsive in his mouth and leaving him only a trembling thing at his father’s side as the man’s gaze seemed to piercing his mind.

A sudden hailing cry rang out and Dorian started as Cayle tore from his father’s hands and ran into Shido’s arms. Adrian straightened and turned, relief evident on his face as Shido lifted his son up into his arms.

“All is well?” Adrian asked.

Shido nodded, stroking Cayle’s hair. “Renzo arrived and put an end to it.”

With a sigh of relief Adrian turned his attention to his own son who clung to him desperately. Kneeling at his side Dorian turned and buried his face in his chest. Adrian wrapped his arms about the trembling boy. “Hush now, love. It’s all right.”

“He scares me.” Dorian whispered.

Adrian frowned. “Who does?”

“The man watching us.”

Adrian stiffened, a sharp sliver of fear coursing through him as he whirled to study the trees about them. “What man?”

Dorian pointed to the side but then froze. When Adrian turned to see where he son was pointing there was nobody there.